Chapter 88

"Ahem... Ahem... Ahem..."

In a secluded cave, Luo Xiu's black robe was tattered, his chest bloody and bruised, and his body covered in wounds.

Despite his strength being sufficient to sweep through the realm of innate, he was heavily injured after being besieged by over a hundred innate beasts. He managed to break through their encirclement, but at a great cost.

In his storage ring, there were now twelve blood beads, which he had obtained by slaying the beasts during his escape. These twelve beads were all of the innate level, and consuming them all would likely allow him to cultivate his physical body to the peak of the first level.

However, as Luo Xiu consumed more blood beads, he discovered that these beads were formed from the essence of the beasts' blood and qi. The blood and qi of beasts differed greatly from that of human martial artists in essence.

Thus, during the process of refining, converting the beasts' blood and qi into his own would make his aura impure and unstable.

At first, this issue was not obvious, but as he consumed more blood beads, it became increasingly prominent.

Therefore, Luo Xiu did not immediately consume the twelve innate-level blood beads to enhance his physical body. Instead, he condensed the Yin-Yang Fire within his body to refine the impurities and purify his aura, making it harmonious and unified.

This secret realm was filled with beasts, and Luo Xiu naturally dared not be careless while cultivating here. He immediately placed a fifth-grade defensive array disk and a fifth-grade concealment array disk at the entrance of the cave.

These array disks were treasures left by Wu Wang Bu Chen, and as long as they were powered by essence stones, they did not require the martial artist to support the array's operation with their own strength.

Of course, such arrays that did not require human operation were much less powerful than those personally set up and controlled by array masters.

Black and white flames flowed through his meridians, then spread outward, blooming on his skin.

The Yin-Yang Fire, containing boundless mysteries, was incredibly versatile. Refining impurities and purifying the aura was a simple task for it.

Luo Xiu found it difficult to comprehend the profound mysteries of the Yin-Yang Fire, but he could truly feel the power it possessed.

Even if it were just the power of life or death separately, it would still grant him abilities far surpassing those of ordinary martial artists.

While refining his aura and purifying impurities, Luo Xiu pondered whether, if his physical body could be refined to the peak of the first level, it would be comparable to a high-grade human-grade battle body. He wondered if he could then use the Xuan Tian Bian technique to triple his strength.

The Xuan Tian Bian technique could amplify one's strength by two to five times, but the greater the amplification, the greater the burden on the body. Currently, Luo Xiu could only use it to double his strength against enemies.

...

In martial arts, there are cultivation levels, realms, and physical body levels.

To Luo Xiu's knowledge, cultivation levels are divided into nine realms: Body Refinement, Qi Sea, Innate, Spirit Refinement, Martial King, Martial Duke, Martial Emperor, Martial Venerable, and Martial Emperor.

Realms are divided into Law and Dao. Law has four stages: Initial, Minor Success, Major Success, and Perfection. After entering Dao, one can grasp the martial arts intent.

Physical body levels are divided into: Low-grade Battle Body, Mid-grade Battle Body, High-grade Battle Body, Peak Battle Body, King-grade Battle Body, Duke-grade Battle Body, Emperor-grade Battle Body, Venerable-grade Battle Body, and Emperor-grade Battle Body!

Luo Xiu's current physical body is at the mid-grade Battle Body level, approaching the high-grade Battle Body level.

While Luo Xiu was consuming innate-level blood beads to refine his physical body, Yan Yue'er was darting through the forest in the second area, capturing heavily wounded and dying innate martial artists.

"If not for my injured spirit needing the Revitalizing Grass to refine the Soul Restoring Pill, I wouldn't need to go through such trouble," she muttered.

Apart from Luo Xiu and the deceased Huang Yuanshan, the other seven innate martial artists were all disabled by Yan Yue'er, who had destroyed their dantians and taken control of them.

"Miss Yan, why did you disable our cultivation and capture us?" The seven innate martial artists were all filled with anger and indignation.

Being stripped of their cultivation, they could be easily killed by any Body Refinement realm martial artist.

For a martial artist, being stripped of their cultivation was even more unbearable than being killed.

"Even if our cultivation is stripped, we will not let you humiliate us. If you have the nerve, kill me!" one of them growled.

"Shut up!"

Yan Yue'er coldly snorted, her beautiful eyes revealing a coldness. A vast and powerful aura spread from her delicate body.

The aura she emitted made the seven innate martial artists feel a deep, soul-level fear. Even facing Spirit Refinement realm martial lords or martial kings, they had never felt such a sensation.

What was the background and cultivation of this Miss Yan from the Yan family of Ancient Sword Province?

Everyone felt a sense of foreboding.

A man in white stepped forward, sealing the throats of the seven innate martial artists to prevent them from making any noise. Then, a burly man came to help, tying them up.

"Where did that Asura go?"

Yan Yue'er's divine sense spread over a large area of the blood-red forest, her brows slightly furrowed.

From the third area of the secret realm onward, one must perform a blood sacrifice to enter. Therefore, Yan Yue'er had captured the seven innate martial artists to use for the blood sacrifice.

The beasts in the secret realm could not be used for the blood sacrifice.

Due to the many strict conditions, the Yan family, despite controlling the secret realm for thousands of years, had only explored up to the fourth area.

Entering the third area required a blood sacrifice of innate martial artists, the fourth area required a blood sacrifice of Spirit Refinement realm martial lords, and the fifth area required a blood sacrifice of martial kings!

Even the Yan family would not be willing to sacrifice several martial kings for a blood sacrifice.

However, with the Dual Moon Beast Jade, the restrictions were much fewer. As long as one's cultivation was sufficient, they could enter higher areas without a blood sacrifice.

To enter the third area, even with the Dual Moon Beast Jade, one must still have Spirit Refinement realm cultivation.

Due to her injured spirit, Yan Yue'er's cultivation had fallen to the innate realm. Normally, even with the Dual Moon Beast Jade, she would not be able to enter the third area.

However, this shortcoming could be overcome through a blood sacrifice, allowing her to smoothly enter the third area.

Therefore, she must obtain the Silver Moon Beast Jade from Luo Xiu.

Otherwise, she would have to restore her cultivation to the Spirit Refinement realm in the second area before she could enter the third area through a blood sacrifice.

"I must find him!"

Yan Yue'er leaped up, her divine sense continuously narrowing the search area.

...

In the cave, hidden by the fifth-grade concealment array, Yan Yue'er could not find his hiding place for a moment.

One by one, he consumed the innate-level blood beads, and his physical body continuously strengthened, quickly reaching the limit of the mid-grade Battle Body, just a step away from the high-grade Battle Body.

His tendons and bones glowed with a faint golden light. When he consumed the last innate blood bead, a violent surge of blood qi rushed through his body, causing intense pain to sweep through him in an instant.

Luo Xiu's face turned pale, and blood flowed from his mouth and nose. His body trembled, and he had not expected the breakthrough from mid-grade to high-grade Battle Body to be so painful.

It felt as if every bone in his body was being crushed and reformed, and his flesh was being burned by flames before being reborn.

The barrier between the Battle Body levels broke, and a more powerful physical strength filled his body. Another wave of intense pain made Luo Xiu's vision go black, nearly causing him to faint.

Veins bulged on his forehead, and despite the unbearable pain, he could only endure it.

This state lasted for an unknown duration, perhaps just a brief moment, but it felt long to Luo Xiu.

As the pain gradually subsided, Luo Xiu's black robe was drenched in sweat.

"Is this the high-grade Battle Body?"

Taking a deep breath, Luo Xiu slowly raised his hand and clenched his fist, feeling the strength in his body.

A high-grade Battle Body could withstand attacks from mid-grade human-grade battle bodies without damage and could resist attacks from ordinary Spirit Refinement realm martial lords.

Just then, Luo Xiu's eyes suddenly narrowed, sensing a disturbance from the fifth-grade concealment array at the cave entrance.

"Such a powerful soul perception! No, that's not soul perception, it's divine sense, which can only be condensed by those at the Spirit Refinement realm and above!"

In the cave, Luo Xiu suddenly stood up, his expression unusually solemn.

"Found you!"

Yan Yue'er continuously narrowed her search area, making her divine sense more detailed. Finally, she found a suspicious spot.

With a swift movement, she darted out, her body briefly gliding in the air, moving at incredible speed.

A moment later, she arrived near the cave.

"No wonder I had such a hard time finding you; it's a fifth-grade concealment array." Yan Yue'er's beautiful eyes narrowed slightly.

A fifth-grade concealment array could not be detected even by a martial king's divine sense, but Yan Yue'er was not ordinary and could find the location of the fifth-grade concealment array.

She slowly extended her hand, and a bronze array disk was drawn to her, a fifth-grade concealment array disk.

The array disk was embedded with a mid-grade essence stone.

Without the concealment array, Yan Yue'er's divine sense swept into the cave, instantly locking onto Luo Xiu.

At the same time, Luo Xiu walked to the cave entrance, facing her from a distance.

"Asura, do you think a fifth-grade defensive array can stop me?" Yan Yue'er said with a light laugh.

"What do you mean, Miss Yue'er? Are you going to be my enemy?" Luo Xiu said in a deep voice.

Yan Yue'er remained noncommittal, saying coolly, "I want the beast jade in your hand."

"What if I don't give it to you?"

"Then I'll have to take it by force..."

Yan Yue'er laughed dismissively, flames flickering under her feet as she struck out with a palm, the flames surging and forming a fire phoenix that flew toward Luo Xiu.

"Boom!"

The fire phoenix collided with the light barrier of the fifth-grade defensive array, and a powerful shockwave spread out, destroying all the grass and trees within a hundred meters, reducing them to rubble.

With a crack, the mid-grade essence stone embedded in the fifth-grade defensive array disk shattered, and the light barrier disappeared.

The array disk was powered by the essence stone. Yan Yue'er's palm strike did not break the fifth-grade array's defense but rather drained the energy from the mid-grade essence stone in an instant.

This was the drawback of the array disk.

Without giving Luo Xiu a chance to replace the essence stone, Yan Yue'er appeared in front of him, a palm of flames aimed at his chest.

"Hmph!"

Luo Xiu's eyes turned cold, and he struck out with a fist of Netherworld Death Flame, colliding fiercely with Yan Yue'er's flaming palm.

With a dull thud, Luo Xiu took a half-step back, his eyes filled with a hint of sternness. Despite his recent breakthrough to the high-grade Battle Body, his fist was left bloody and bruised by Yan Yue'er's powerful and pure flaming true qi. This woman, despite her delicate appearance, was also a martial artist who had cultivated her physical body!

Yan Yue'er's beautiful eyes flashed with surprise, "You've already broken through to the high-grade Battle Body realm?"

Yan Yue'er was genuinely surprised because when Luo Xiu was refining the first Qi Sea-level blood bead, she noticed his physical body was only at the mid-grade Battle Body level. Even with enough innate blood beads, he should not have broken through to the high-grade Battle Body so quickly.

The blood qi in the blood beads would make a martial artist's aura impure, and the impurities in the bloodline needed to be refined and the aura purified before further breakthroughs could be achieved.

Clearly, this Asura must have a powerful cultivation technique that could quickly refine impurities and purify the aura.

While Yan Yue'er was pondering, Luo Xiu was also observing this woman.

During their exchange, Yan Yue'er emitted a hint of aura, roughly at the seventh level of the innate realm. However, her flaming true qi was so pure and powerful that even a grand martial artist could not match it.

Moreover, this woman possessed divine sense, with a vast and unfathomable aura, and her overall strength could rival that of a Spirit Refinement realm martial lord.

Suddenly, a fierce killing intent erupted between them, and in an instant, both Luo Xiu and Yan Yue'er moved simultaneously.

"Buzz!"

A mid-grade Earth-grade battle sword was drawn. Although Luo Xiu's current cultivation was not sufficient to fully unleash the sword's power, its sharpness was formidable, and even a King-grade Battle Body would not dare to underestimate it.

On the other side, Yan Yue'er formed hand seals, and her flaming true qi condensed into numerous fire swords, raining down on Luo Xiu in the hundreds.

Each fire sword could easily pierce through a mid-grade Battle Body. Even at the high-grade Battle Body level, if Luo Xiu were hit by hundreds of fire swords, he would be severely injured, if not killed.

Snap! Snap! Snap! ...

The fire swords were shattered, and Luo Xiu's sword strikes were as swift as lightning, forming a web of sword light that tore apart the fire swords.

"Such a fast sword! Unfortunately, you haven't comprehended sword intent. No matter how fast your sword technique, it's just a trivial skill."

Yan Yue'er's eyes first showed surprise, then turned to disdain.

A sword technique at the Perfection level might be very challenging for innate martial artists and ordinary Spirit Refinement realm martial artists, but to her, it was nothing.

She formed a hand seal and struck out with a palm, the vast flames causing ripples in the air, as if burning everything in the world!

"Is this... martial arts intent?"

Luo Xiu and his sword were sent flying, his face stern.

Yan Yue'er's martial technique was incredibly powerful, at least a seventh-grade martial art!

Moreover, her true qi carried a burning intent, making him feel as if his own true qi was about to be ignited and burned.

If not for the special nature of the Yin-Yang Fire he cultivated, he would have been severely injured by that strike, not just sent flying.

Furthermore, Yan Yue'er used this flaming martial intent to resist the death force, preventing Luo Xiu from damaging her vital points.

Without hesitation, in every aspect—martial arts cultivation, realm, and physical body—Luo Xiu was inferior to this Yan Yue'er!

"Hand over the Silver Moon Beast Jade, and I'll spare your life!"

Yan Yue'er's beautiful eyes fixed on Luo Xiu, her tone arrogant.

If not for her injured spirit, she would be a martial duke, and in the entire Tianwu Kingdom, there would be no more than ten people who could match her!

Luo Xiu's expression remained unchanged. Although this Yan Yue'er was very powerful, it was not enough to make him beg for mercy.

His eyes turned cold, and he secretly activated the Xuan Tian Bian technique to triple his strength!

The Xuan Tian Bian technique placed a greater burden on the physical body, but fortunately, Luo Xiu's physical body had broken through to the high-grade Battle Body, allowing him to withstand the backlash of the technique.

As he activated the technique, his aura suddenly intensified. Sensing the change in his aura, Yan Yue'er's brows furrowed.

Due to her injured spirit, she could not use much of her strength, so she tried to avoid unnecessary conflict to prevent her injuries from worsening.